Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of being an artistic fellow, freed from the constraints of having to earn a paycheck and the stresses of everyday life. But if you're a fellow holed up in, say, an apartment in Midtown Manhattan, there's only so much solitude available. Furthermore, there's no mystique. Mystique is good.

That's is why today I'd like to pass along info about two cool fellowships located out West. Plenty of room out there to ruminate (but minimal late-night access to Thai food).

The first comes from the Chicago-based Harpo Foundation, which was created in 2006 to support underrecognized artists. The foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and encourage new modes of thinking about art.

The foundation's Emerging Artist Fellowship at the Santa Fe Art Institute was established in 2013 to provide an annual opportunity to an emerging visual artist 25 years of age or older who needs time and space to explore an idea and/or start a new project. Artist fellows will receive a one-month residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute that includes a well-appointed room with private bath, a beautiful, well-lit studio space, and a $500 travel stipend. Not bad. (In fact, it sounds a lot like the equally gorgeous UCross Foundation residency, based in the High Plains/Rocky Mountains region, which I wrote about a few months back.)

Now let's travel a few thousand miles north to fellowship number two. The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation is accepting applications from Native artists residing in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for its 2015 NACF Regional Artist Fellowships, an annual program that supports Native artists who are creating visual and traditional artworks.

Grants of $20,000 will be awarded to enable Native artists to create powerful new works with the potential to transform their communities. To be eligible, applicants must be an artist residing in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, or Wisconsin who is creating visual or traditional art and is an enrolled member of a Native Nation in one of these states. Click here to apply.